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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

First Results From the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) Experiment on the Cassini-Huygens Probe

The Huygens Probe of the Cassini Huygens Mission entered the atmosphere of the moon Titan on January 14,2005. The GCMS was part of the instrument complement on the Probe to measure in situ the chemical composition of the atmosphere during the probe descent and to support the Aerosol Collector Pyrolyser (ACP) experiment by serving as detector for the pyrolization products. The GCMS employed a quadrupole mass filter with a secondary electron multiplier detection system and a gas sampling system providing continuous direct atmospheric composition measurements and batch sampling through three gas chromatographic (GC) columns. The mass spectrometer employed five electron impact ion sources with available electron energies of either 70 or 25 eV. Three ion sources served as detectors for the GC columns and two were dedicated to direct atmosphere sampling and ACP gas sampling, respectively. The GCMS gas inlet was heated to prevent condensation, and served to evaporate surface constituents after impact.

Niemann, Hasso B.↗
DOE OSTI2025

THE STRUCTURE FUNCTION OF THE FREE NEUTRON AT HIGH X-BJORKEN

Understanding the internal structure of nucleons is one of the primary goal of nuclear physicists. As protons and neutrons are only the bound state solution of the QCD lagrangian (at least inside atomic nuclei), studying protons and neutrons helps uncover nuclear struc ture. Due to its easy availability, many studies on protons have been done on a wide range of kinematics. However, free neutron targets are not readily achievable. So, any information on neutrons has to be extracted from neutron-rich nuclei, and some nuclear models have to be used to subtract the contributions from other nucleons to extract the information on neutrons. So, the Barely Off-shell Nucleon Structure (BONuS12) experiment at Jefferson Lab was conducted to overcome these challenges by using spectator tagging. The experiment effectively created a quasi-free neutron target by scattering electrons off a deuterium target and detecting low-momentum, backward-moving protons using a custom-built Radial Time Projection Chamber (RTPC). Selecting the low momentum and backward-moving spectators would enable us to minimize the model-dependent effects due to final state interactions and target fragmentation. The RTPC was a 40 cm-long cylindrical detector that works on the principle of gaseous ionization. It had three layers of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) for charge amplification and a surrounding readout pad. The scattered electrons were measured using the CLAS12 detector, and data were collected using a 10.4 GeV electron beam dur ing Spring and Summer 2020. Using spectator tagging, we extracted the structure function ratio Fn 2 of the quasi-free neutron in the deep inelastic scattering at high x, upto x ~ 0.8. The result was extracted in the region with the invariant mass W > 1.8 GeV/c2, and Q2 in the range 1.3 to 11 GeV2. This dissertation presents the methodology, event selection criteria and refinements, estimation and subtraction of backgrounds, and complete analysis of extraction of Fn 2/Fp 2 in a model-independent way. Also, systematic uncertainties in our final analysis will be discussed in detail.

Pokhrel, Madhusudhan [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk,↗
DOE OSTI2025

SCGSR Final Report

Dual phase noble liquid time projection chambers (TPCs) have an unprecedented sensitivity towards dark matter searches and neutrinos, owing to their ability to detect single electrons. When a particle deposits energy into one of these detectors, electrons are released and drifted into a gaseous region of high electric field. In the gas, the electrons are accelerated to produce extra light into what is called an S2 pulse. This light is far easier to detect than the current induced from a single electron. The two widely used elements for noble liquid detectors are Xe and Ar. Xe has a larger chance of being hit by neutrinos or dark matter, but ends with a lower (i.e. harder to detect) energy when struck. However, Ar light is hard to reflect and detect due to its short wavelength which is absorbed by most materials. While one may use TPB to re-emit this light at a longer wavelength, spatial variations of TPB thickness can smear the amount of re-emitted light, and thus cause a poor S2 energy resolution and spatial resolution. Furthermore, a single electron pulse in Ar is spread over a much longer time than one in Xe, which makes it harder to identify single electrons in Ar. The goal of Xe doping is to combine the best aspects of Ar with the best aspects of Xe. More specifically, this means a detector with a larger yield of photons and electrons produced per energy deposition, an ability to collect more of the light given by those signals, and a narrower pulse from the electron signal. During this project, we developed and operated a detector that can overcome the thermodynamic challenges of Xe doping – namely, preventing Xe from freezing. In the first experimental run during this award period, we found that we can achieve at least 5% of Xe in LAr, and measure the Xe concentration in the gas. In the second run, we installed our detector and saw the first S2 pulses in a dual phase Xe doped LAr TPC. With the data we took, we quantified the effect of Xe doping on the detectability of wavelength-shifted light produced in a Xe doped Ar mixture, as well as the single electron pulse shape. While the Ar light has successfully been wavelength shifted, we learned that much to our surprise, Xe doping actually makes the S2 pulse wider before it makes it narrower.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1993

Atmospheric measurements of carbonyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, and carbon disulfide using the electron capture sulfur detector

Measurements of atmospheric dimethyl sulfide (DMS), carbonyl sulfide (COS), and carbon disulfide (CS2) were conducted over the Atlantic Ocean on board the NASA Electra aircraft during the Chemical Instrumentation Test and Evaluation (CITE 3) project using the electron capture sulfur detector (ECD-S). The system employed cryogenic preconcentration of air samples, gas chromatographic separation, catalytic fluorination, and electron capture detection. Samples collected for DMS analysis were scrubbed of oxidants with NaOH impregnated glass fiber filters to preconcentration. The detection limits (DL) of the system for COS, DMS, and CS2 were 5, 5, and 2 ppt, respectively. COS concentrations ranged from 404 to 603 ppt with a mean of 489 ppt for measurements over the North Atlantic Ocean (31 deg N to 41 deg N), and from 395 to 437 ppt with a mean of 419 ppt for measurements over the Tropical Atlantic Ocean (11 deg S to 2 deg N). DMS concentrations in the lower marine boundary layer, below 600-m altitude, ranged from below DL to 150 ppt from flights over the North Atlantic, and from 9 to 104 ppt over the Tropical Atlantic. CS2 concentrations ranged from below DL to 29 ppt over the North Atlantic. Almost all CS2 measurements over the Tropical Atlantic were below DL.

Johnson, James E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Multiple-ionization of xenon atoms by positron impact

Previously the cross sections were measured for positronium formation and single ionization by positron impact for He and H2. With the same apparatus, slightly modified, the single and multiple ionization of xenon is now investigated. The principle of the method is the detection of ion and positron in time correlation which allows the discrimination of positronium formation (whereby the positron vanishes) and the destinction of single, double and triple impact ionization (which lead to different ion flight times from the gas target to the ion detector). By using secondary electrons from the positron moderator, similar measurements were performed on electron impact ionization. By comparing with literature values for electron multiple ionization cross sections, the detection-probability ratios were determined for the differently charged ions.

Kruse, Georg↗
DOE OSTI2024

Elimination LArTPC Simulation Uncertainty

Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPC) are crucial for measuring muons and neutrinos by capturing the paths of fast-moving particles through argon gas. However, these detectors face challenges such as electron-ion recombination, diffusion, and attenuation, which introduce uncertainties in simulation models. This study, conducted by Ka ren Mkrtchyan at FERMILAB, aims to reduce these uncertainties by adjusting the amplitude and width of signals detected by the TPC wires. Initial findings indicate that the current modification algorithm requires further refinement to better align simulations with observed data. Ongoing work focuses on correcting computational bugs and enhancing the simulation model for improved accuracy and statistical confidence.

Mkrtchyan, Ka'ren↗
NASA NTRS1972

Definition phase study of the grand tour missions

The research to define an energetic particle experiment for the OPTGT-MJS missions is reported. The studies reported include: (1) the use of silicon dectectors for low energy, low flux level measurements in the presence of RTG radiation and trapped electrons, (2) high energy proton damage of lithium-drifted and surface barrier silicon detectors, (3) the gas Cerenkov counter, (4) systems for detection of trapped high-energy protons in the presence of trapped electrons, and (5) reliability and redundancy.

Simpson, J. A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Readout electronics for low occupancy High-Pressure Gas TPCs

High-Pressure Gas Time Projection Chambers (HPgTPCs) have benefits such as low energy thresholds, magnetisability, and 4π acceptance, making them ideal for neutrino experiments such as DUNE. We present the design of an FPGA-based solution optimised for Gaseous Argon Near Detector (ND-GAr), which is part of the Phase-II more capable near detector for DUNE. These electronics reduce the cost significantly compared to using collider readout electronics, which are typically designed for much higher occupancy and therefore, for example, need much larger numbers of FPGAs and power per channel. We demonstrate the performance of our electronics with the Teststand for an Overpressurised Argon Detector (TOAD) at Fermilab in the US at a range of pressures and gas mixtures up to 4.5 barA, reading out ∼10 000 channels from a Multi-Wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC). The operation took place between April and July of 2024. We measure the noise characteristics of the system to be sufficiently low, and we identify sources of noise that can be further mitigated in the next iteration. We also note that the cooling scheme used in the test requires improvement before full-scale deployment. Despite these necessary improvements, we show that the system can fulfil the needs of a HPgTPC for a fraction of the price of collider readout electronics.

Data acquisition concepts↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deep probabilistic direction prediction in 3D with applications to directional dark matter detectors

Abstract We present the first method to probabilistically predict 3D direction in a deep neural network model. The probabilistic predictions are modeled as a heteroscedastic von Mises-Fisher distribution on the sphere S 2 , giving a simple way to quantify aleatoric uncertainty. This approach generalizes the cosine distance loss which is a special case of our loss function when the uncertainty is assumed to be uniform across samples. We develop approximations required to make the likelihood function and gradient calculations stable. The method is applied to the task of predicting the 3D directions of electrons, the most complex signal in a class of experimental particle physics detectors designed to demonstrate the particle nature of dark matter and study solar neutrinos. Using simulated Monte Carlo data, the initial direction of recoiling electrons is inferred from their tortuous trajectories, as captured by the 3D detectors. For 40 keV electrons in a 70% He 30% CO 2 gas mixture at STP, the new approach achieves a mean cosine distance of 0.104 (26 ∘ ) compared to 0.556 (64 ∘ ) achieved by a non-machine learning algorithm. We show that the model is well-calibrated and accuracy can be increased further by removing samples with high predicted uncertainty. This advancement in probabilistic 3D directional learning could increase the sensitivity of directional dark matter detectors.

Computer Science↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electronics for the far-forward CMS muon detector upgrade, ME0

Abstract With the High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) we expect increased instantaneous luminosities up to 7.5 × 10 34 cm −2 s −1 , or five times more than the original values. In order to maintain performance of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment under these conditions, ME0 is one of three new muon sub-detectors being added, along with GE1/1 and GE2/1, which use the triple Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) technology. ME0 is designed to cover the forward region of 2.0 < | η | < 2.8, thus improving muon reconstruction at high background rates by supplementing other overlapping muon subsystems up to | η | = 2.4, while also extending the acceptance for the first time to | η | = 2.8. The readout electronics for ME0 must be designed to accommodate high data rates and be sufficiently radiation hard to operate close to the beamline. The Optohybrid (OH) board for ME0, which reads out data from the front-end VFAT3b ASICs, has therefore been designed to operate without an FPGA (unlike GE1/1 and GE2/1) to ensure radiation hardness. The ME0 OH uses the radiation-hard CERN-designed lpGBT ASIC and VTRx+ optical transceiver module for high bandwidth optical links up to 10.24 Gb/s. The backend system is based on the ATCA standard. The design and development status of the readout electronics for ME0 is presented, along with recent results from integration tests performed using the first prototypes.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ultra low background time projection alpha particle detector ( Phase II Final Scientific/Technical Report)

When alpha particles are emitted into a gas they create an ionization track of gas ions and electrons. In our commercial UltraLo instrument we apply a voltage between a planar sample and an anode, integrate the anode signal as it collects the electrons, and distinguish between alphas emitted from the sample and elsewhere (anode, sidewalls) by the duration and shape of the resultant signal. The major contributors limiting the instrument’s lower detection limit are cosmic rays that pass through the detector close to the sample and Rn decays that produce charge tracks the originate in the gas and end on the sample. In this work we proposed to identify and reject these events by converting the anode into a multi-pixel array and operating in time projection mode. Cosmic rays would be eliminated by generating charge on many pixels, while charge collection asymmetry would distinguish between sample events (Bragg curve up) and Rn events (Bragg curve down). We therefore proposed to modify an UltraLo by pixilating its anode, developing low noise, low power multiplexed electronics to track each pixel’s signal individually, and develop analysis software to make the required discriminations.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of readout electronics for the CMS ME0 muon detector

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the High Luminosity (HL-LHC) era will be upgraded to deliver instantaneous luminosities up to 5 X 10 34 cm -2 s -1 , five times more than the original design value. In order to maintain performance of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment under these conditions, ME0 is one of the new muon detectors to be added, along with GE1/1, GE2/1, RE3/1 and RE4/1. ME0 uses the triple Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) technology and is designed to cover the far-forward region of 2.0 < |η| < 2.8. Further, the readout electronics for ME0 must be designed to deal with high data rates and be sufficiently radiation hard to operate very close to the beamline. The design and development status of the readout electronics for ME0 are presented, along with recent results from integration tests performed using the latest electronics prototypes with GEM chambers.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Demonstration of event position reconstruction based on diffusion in the NEXT-white detector

Noble element time projection chambers are a leading technology for rare event detection in physics, such as for dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay searches. Time projection chambers typically assign event position in the drift direction using the relative timing of prompt scintillation and delayed charge collection signals, allowing for reconstruction of an absolute position in the drift direction. In this paper, alternate methods for assigning event drift dis tance via quantification of electron diffusion in a pure high pressure xenon gas time projection chamber are explored. Data from the NEXT-White detector demonstrate the ability to achieve good position assignment accuracy for both high and low-energy events. Using point-like energy deposits from 83m Kr calibration electron captures (E ~ 45 keV), the position of origin of low-energy events is determined to 2 cm precision with bias < 1 mm. A convolutional neural network approach is then used to quantify diffusion for longer tracks (E ≥ 1.5 MeV), from radiogenic electrons, yielding a precision of 3 cm on the event barycenter. The precision achieved with these methods indicates the feasibility energy calibrations of better than 1% FWHM at Q ββ in pure xenon, as well as the potential for event fiducialization in large future detectors using an alternate method that does not rely on primary scintillation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1985

Wave-particle interactions induced by SEPAC on Spacelab 1 Wave observations

Space experiments with particle accelerators (SEPAC) flew on Spacelab 1 in November and December 1983. SEPAC included an accelerator which emitted electrons into the ionospheric plasma with energies up to 5 keV and currents up to 300 mA. The SEPAC equipment also included an energetic plasma generator, a neutral gas generator, and an extensive array of diagnostics. The diagnostics included plasma wave detectors, and energetic electron analyzer, a photometer, a high sensitivity television camera, a Langmuir probe and a pressure gage. Twenty-eight experiments were performed during the mission to investigate beam-plasma interactions, electron beam dynamics, plasma beam propagation, and vehicle charging. The wave-particle interactions were monitored by the plasma wave instrumentation, by the energetic electron detector and by the optical detectors. All show evidence of wave-particle interactions, which are described in this paper.

Taylor, W. W. L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cryogenic Instrumentation at ProtoDUNE

The cryogenic instrumentation of ProtoDUNE successfully operated during the first run of the experiment, providing a comprehensive monitoring of the cryostats, the cryogenics system and the detectors. It includes devices to measure the liquid argon level, the electron lifetime, the temperature of the liquid and gas argon, the pressure inside the cryostat and the contamination of the gas argon, as well as cameras to inspect the most critical detector elements. These systems and their performance are reviewed, and a few aspects of their future upgrade discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Extracting the electronic structure of light elements in bulk materials through a Compton scattering method in the readily accessible hard x-ray regime

Here, our Compton profile measurements of Ti and TiH 2 using readily available hard X-ray radiation at 27.5 keV, detected by both a Hitachi Vortex silicon-drift detector and a high-resolution superconducting transition-edge sensor array, are found to be in excellent accord with state-of-the-art density functional theory based calculations. The spherically averaged difference between the Compton profiles of TiH 2 and Ti is well described by an inverted parabola, supporting an itinerant behavior of the electron gas screening the protons in the Ti matrix. Our experimental approach, validated by two different detectors, extends the applicability of Compton scattering technique to the readily accessible hard x-ray regime (below 30 keV). Our study suggests possibilities for experiments at low-flux bending magnet synchrotron beamlines and paves the way for the development of tabletop Compton experiments with x-ray tubes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗